Vintage character, retro cool, and modern amenities – HI –San Francisco City Center’s got it all. The City Center hostel started life in the 1920s as a boutique hotel, and while period details like a marble-tiled lobby and mahogany-railed mezzanine still remain, it’s the 21st century amenities our guests love most. Connect to fast, free Wi-Fi throughout the building, grab evening drinks and free morning breakfast at our speak-easy-chic café, and enjoy private bathrooms in every room (yes, even dorms!).

The City Center hostel is off the beaten tourist path but still close to it all. Located between the edgy Tenderloin District and the clean marble columns of the city’s Civic Center and Arts Districts, our neighborhood is a hub for some of the city’s best cheap cuisine, as well as great nightclubs and live music venues. We’re just 7 blocks from the Civic Center BART station, making it easy for our guests to get all over the city, as well as to and from the San Francisco and Oakland airports.

Best of all, whether you want to explore the city or chill at the hostel, our staff is here to help. We're always hosting movie nights, group dinners, and tons of other special events on site. We also organize free or cheap activities like pub crawls, walking tours, and museum days to help you experience everything our city has to offer.

Hostelling International is a non-profit membership organization promoting peace through hostelling since 1909. To maintain our low overhead and to be able to offer low-budget accommodations to as many people as possible, non-members will be asked to pay a $3 non-membership fee per night upon check-in.

Online prices do not include taxes. Daily bed rates of $30 or more are subject to a 15% tourist and hotel tax. Bed rates of less than $30 are taxed only a 1% tourist tax, per city regulations.

Directions

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FROM THE AIRPORT:
By BART: Take a BART train from the airport to the Civic Center station. (Trains run 4 a.m. to midnight on weekdays, 6 a.m. to midnight on Saturdays, and 8 a.m. to midnight on Sundays and holidays.) Exit the station using the UN Plaza exit. Walk across the plaza towards City Hall (the large domed building) and turn right on Larkin Street. Walk 5 blocks north on Larkin, then turn right on Ellis Street. The hostel is the first building on the righthand side.

By Shuttle: Lorrie's Airport Service offers a discounted rate of $14 per person for shuttle service between San Francisco International Airport and HI-San Francisco hostels. Contact the hostel for more information and reservations.

By Taxi: There are usually plenty of private taxis available at the airport. Look for an official taxi stop outside the baggage claim. A ride from SFO to the hostel will set you back about $50.

USING GREYHOUND:
From the Greyhound Station at San Francisco's Temporary Transbay Terminal, exit and turn right on Folsom. Take your first right onto Beale and walk 1 block. Cross Howard, and find the MUNI bus #38 bus stop at the northeast corner of Howard and Beale. Take the MUNI bus #38 to Geary and Larkin Streets. Cross Geary to walk south on Larkin for 2 blocks, then turn left on Ellis. The hostel is the first building on your right.

USING AMTRAK:
The nearest Amtrak train station is in Emeryville, but Amtrak offers connecting bus service to San Francisco. When you purchase your train ticket, select 'San Francisco - Civic Center' as your final destination. From the Civic Center bus stop, walk west across UN Plaza towards City Hall (the large domed building) and turn right on Larkin Street. Walk 5 blocks north on Larkin, then turn right on Ellis Street. The hostel is the first building on the righthand side.

DRIVING:
From Van Ness Avenue (US 101), drive east on O'Farrell Street. Turn left on O'Farrell Street. Turn right on Hyde Street and immediately turn right on Ellis Street. The hostel is at the end of the block on your left side.

Park in the loading zone in front of the hostel; front desk staff will direct you to permanent parking nearby. Expect to pay $10 per 12 hours.

Located Near

HI-San Francisco City Center is centrally located near City Hall and the Civic Center arts district. Easy walking distance to The Warfield and the Great American Music Hall; SF Opera, Symphony, and Ballet; the Asian Art Museum and the San Francisco Museum of Performance and Design. Also walking distance to Union Square, Chinatown, SoMA, and cable cars. Close to public transit: 1 block from major MUNI bus lines, and 6 blocks from BART trains which run to/from the San Francisco International Airport and the Oakland International Airport.